Dispensing container



Aug. 22, 1944 C. F. PROUD-MAN ETAL DISPENS ING CONTAINER Filed Feb. 2o. 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 2. 2 7 2 l O 85 2|8 4/17 3.3 32 \\HHI||I.|, l 4 n 6 l 6 3 7 3 .1.. l 1. O/ c 5 4 3 4 H, 5 3 .NJ

`are

INVVENTORS CHESTER F. PROUDMAN FRANKLYN CLWALTERS Aug- 22, 1944. c. F. PRouDMAN Erm. 2,355,179

I DISPENSINGY CONTAINER Filed Feb. 2o, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 l r INVENToRs f CHESTERF. PROUDMAN FRANKLYN C. WALTERS p ni L.-

BY ATTOR Y and the point of delivery therefrom.

Patented Aug. 22, 1944 DIS-PENSING CONTAINER Chester F. Proudmanand Franklyn C. Walters, New Canaan, Conn., assignors to The Walpro Products Corporation, New Canaan, Conn., a

corporation of Connecticut Application February zo, 1941, 'serial No. 379,863

claims.

This invention relates to a dispensing container for loaf products, such as cheese and butter, and

includes means to house said loaf in a sanitary manner, as well as providing means whereby Athe opening and closing of the container cover will automatically move the parent loaf into position for cutting and sever or cut a slice` from said loaf, delivering same for ready handling. In a modification of the invention, means are provided for varying the thickness of the slices cut.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a container and a closure therefor, so'arranged and inter-connected that the'openin'g and closing of the closure will cut and deliver a slice of a loaf product stored within the container.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a belt conveyor, to support the loaf product in the container, so mounted as to be readily removed from, and replaced in, the container Without the useof tools or the disconnecting of the operating parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means to operate-the feed of the conveyor belt, so that an intermittent movement'is obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to time the movements ofthe conveyor belt, in relation .to the movement of the container cover, so that the loaf on the conveyor Will be stationary during the cutting operation.

A further object of the invention isy to provide means to guide the cutting wire so that the loaf will be cut on the arc of a circle, to give a curvilinear slice of the product.

A further object of the invention is the novel combination, with other elements, in thisV application of the concept embodied in our prior application, Serial No. 294,062, led September 9, 1939, and issued as Patent No. 2,312,456 on March 2, 1943, in particular comprising the'position of y versely of the conveyor.

the cutting plane in relation to the conveyor belt y A further object ofthe invention 'is to provide an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the operating'pawl and the ratchet drive for the conveyor belt, so that a different amount of feed may be secured to obtain a variation in the thickness of the slices out from the parent loaf.

To these and other ends the characteristic features and advantages of our improvement will more fully appear 'in the following 'description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof. v

In the drawings, in which like reference nulmerals designate like parts1` Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing the device with cover in open position.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the device of Fig. 1, with end closure removed. y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionalview of the device of Fig. 1, showing the ratchet drive and associated parts and with the sidewalls of the container removed. o

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a portion of a modication of the device shown in Fig. 1 and With the side Walls of the container removed.

In Fig. 1 reference numeral I0 designates the outer container of the device which includes the body I I, the hinged cover I2 and the end closure I3. The body II hasa bottom I4, side Walls I5 and I6 (see Fig. 2) and an end wall I'I. The cover I2 has a to-p I8, side Walls I9 and 20 (see Fig. 2) and an end Wall 2|, hinged at 22 to the end wall I1 of the body II. f

Positioned within the container I0 is the conveyor assembly 23 which may be removed as a unit from the container 'for the purpose of cleaning. `The conveyor assembly consists of a table 24 supported by side walls 25 and 26 to which are attached the bottom A2'I. Oppositely disposed extensions 28 and 29 Vof the side walls 25`and 23 provide journal supports for the front 'shaft 39 and rear shaft 3I, which shafts extend trans- 'y Mounted on the shaft 30 is the front pulley 32 and fixed `to the rear shaft 3I is the rear pulley 33.-" Extending around the pulleys 32- and'33 and over thetop of the table 24 is the conveyor belt 34 which is driven by rotation of the rear pulley 33.

' The loaf of product 5I) is supported by the conveyor belt 34 and a, slice 5I is cut from the front end 52 of the loaf alongA the arc 53 by means of the cutting wire 544 which is fixed' in the cover I2 between the side walls I9 and 20. 1

The ratchet Wheel 35 is fixed to the shaft 3I. The pawl arm 36 is provided with the pawl tooth 31 to engage with the ratchet Wheel 35. The table 24 being slotted longitudinally to provide clearance for the pawl arm 36 and permit the end of same to operate between the side walls 25 andr26 of the conveyor assembly'ZS-.v` Pawl arm 36 is connected by thepin 38 to the bell crank 39 having the contact member 40. The pavvl arm 36 has an enlarged end Whichacts as a Weight urging the tooth 31 against the ratchet wheel 35. Thel bell crank 39 is fulcrumed on the shaft 4I Which extends between, and is supportment and the pawl arm 35 is in retracted position, v

When thek as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. l cover I2 is raised to open the container, the contact member 40 descends, following the movement of the end wall of the cover, the spring 42 maintaining the member 40 in contact Vwith the end wall 2 I. The downward movement of the member 40 permits the spring 42 to rotate the bell crank 39 and this causes a forward movement of the pawl arm 36. dotted lines) when the cover I2 is in closed position there is a substantial clearance between the ratchet wheel 35 and the pawl tooth 3I, and the rst part of the movement in opening the cover is utilized to takerup this clearance before the pawl tooth engages'the ratchet wheel and thereby moves the conveyor forward.

The pawl clearance and free movement of the cover is an important feature, -since it provides for the cutting wire154 to risev above the loaf, housed in the container, before the conveyor and loaf move forward.

After the pawl tooth 31 engages the ratchet wheel 35further opening movement of the cover allows the ratchet wheel 35 andthe conveyor pulley 33 to' be rotated :by the spring 42, thus` moving the conveyor belt and the loaf of prod uct, supported thereby forward. 'Ihe forward movement of the loaf 50 advances the loaf' end 52 beyond the path 53 of the cutting wire 54, and thus positions the loaf for a slice 5I `to be cut off. f

It will be notedV that the lowerportion of the path 53 of the cutting wire 54. is substantially in As shown in Fig. 3 .(by

through the power part, or last part, of its stroke or movement, not closing the cover down to make a cut until the loaf has been advanced to obtain the desired thickness of slice.

This feature is of particular advantage in dispensing a print of butter, where one stroke may be set. to give a unit quantity, for example, one tablespoonful, and the device will thus accurately measure quantities for use in recipes, etc.

yIt will be noted that the conveyor assembly of '-the conveyor table, side walls, pulleys and belt the Vertical plane through the axis of the pulley 32 and that the bottom'ofthe slice 5I projects beyond this plane and, therefore, is free of the belt at the time of cutting. This is an important feature of our inventionrand is described and claimedA in our above-mentioned co-pending application, Serial No. 294,062.

The downward motion of the cover to close the container'causes the cutting wire 54 to sever or cut off the sliceV 5I from the end of the parent loaf and this slice,-being unsupported, falls -for- Ward. If desired, adish may be placed in position to receive one or more slices as cut.

The closing movement of the cover raises the member 40 of the bell crank 39, tensions the spring 42, and moves the pawl arm 36 into its y retracted position. l

The front end closurev I3 may be raised when the cover I2 is down, and .closes the end of the container, as well as locks the `cover I2 by engaging in the catch 55.

elusive, the circular pitch of the ratchet teeth and the relative diameter'of the ratchet wheel to the pulley 33, will control the advance of the conveyor belt and the thickness of the slice slices of any-thickness, inmultiples of the thinnest slice, by operating the cover repeatedly are separate from the container I0. The pawl arm 36 merelyrides on the ratchet wheel 35. This construction permits of the removal from the container of the conveyor assembly as a unit, for cleaning or belt replacement, and the repositioning of same in the container, by simply lifting up the pawl arm 36 and sliding the ratchet wheel under same.

The modified drive shown in Fig. 4 may be used if desired. This comprises the conveyor belt 34, the pulley 33 and the ratchet wheel 35. The lever arm 6U is fixed to the end wall 2I of the cover I2 and carries the pawl arm 6I journalled on the pin 62. A flat spring 63 attached to the pawl arm 6I contacts the container wall I I and serves to hold the pawlv arm BI against the ratchet wheel 35. y

Opening and closing the cover I2 raises and lowers the pawl arm 6I and causes the pawl tooth 64 to engage with and move the ratchet wheel 35 and thus advance the conveyor belt 34, and the loaf supported thereby, as described above. Clearance between pawl tooth and ratchet wheel is provided as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 so that the conveyor is only moved while the cutting wire is above the loaf of product.

As shown in Fig. 4, a shoulder 65 may be formed on the pawl arm 6| to engage with a pin 66 and thus limit the travel of the pawl arm. This pin 66 may be mounted on a swinging lever 61 to permit setting in different positions, .as shown, and thus enablethe pawl tooth 64 to advance the ratchet wheel 35 either one or two teeth at each stroke. The adjustment of pin 66, as shown, permitsslices of either single or double thickness to be cut at each stroke of the cover.' The lever BI may be frictionally held in the desired position by mounting on a, tight-fltting pivot 68 which in turn is fixed to the side wall I5 of the container. As explained above, a number of partial strokes of cover may be made to obtain'slices of greater thickness.

We claim:

1. A dispensing container for loaf products comprising a receptacle body; a cover hinged to one wall of said body; a conveyor positioned within said container to support and feed a loaf of product; driving means for said conveyor comprising a ratchet wheel,a pawl, a bell crank provided with a member to follow the movement of said cover, and arrangedto operate said pawl, and a spring to move said bell crank and 'advance l. lsaid pawl and said conveyor, upon an o ning With the device shown in Figs. 1 to 3 in.- pe

pulleys mounted in said container; a conveyor belt over said pulleys to support and feed a loaf `of the product; ratchet drive means adapted to move said conveyor during a portion of the open- ,lng movement of said cover; and a cutting wire xed in said cover and arranged to move in a path, which produced, would pass substantially through the axis of said front pulley, and cut a slice from said loaf during the closing of said cover.

3. A dispensing container for loaf products comprising a receptacle body; a cover hinged to one Wall of said body; a conveyor positioned within said container to support and feed a loaf of product; driving means for said conveyor comprising a ratchet wheel, a pawl, and an arm xed to said cover and operating said pawl; said driving means advancing said conveyor during the opening movement of said cover; and a cutting wire xed in said cover and arranged to cut a slice from said loaf during the closing of said cover.

4. A dispensing container for loaf products comprising a receptacle body; a cover hinged to one wall of said body; a conveyor positioned Within said container to support and feed a loaf of the product; ratchet drive means arranged to move said conveyor during the opening movement of said cover and comprising a ratchet wheel and a pawl, an adjustable stop to limit the motion of said pawl; and a cutting wire fixed in said cover and adapted to cut slices of varying thickness from said loaf, dependent upon the position of said stop, during the closing of said cover.

5. A container to cut and dispense slices from a loaf of product, comprising a receptacle body; front and rear conveyor pulleys mounted in said container; a conveyor belt extending around said pulleys to provide the sole support for said loaf,

l a hinge mounted rearward of said front pulley; a

container cover supported by said hinge; means operated by motion of said cover to move said belt and feed said loaf forward; and a cutting wire xed in said cover, maintained parallel to said ,belt and mounted to reciprocate substantially in a path which extends through the axis of said front pulley and intersects the point of curve of said belt, around said front pulley.

CHESTER F. PROUDMAN. FRANKLYN C. WALTERS. 

